Delegates
to the first meeting of the Ad Hoc Open-ended
Working Group of Legal and Technical Experts on
Liability and Redress in the context of the
Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety to the Convention on
Biological Diversity (CBD) met in Plenary throughout
the day. In the morning, delegates heard opening
remarks, addressed organizational issues and
discussed a presentation on scientific analysis and
risk assessment. In the afternoon, they discussed a
presentation on State responsibility and
international liability, and addressed scenarios,
options, approaches and issues for further
consideration on liability and redress.

CBD
Executive Secretary Hamdallah Zedan opened the meeting,
noting that the preparatory meeting of the Technical Expert
Group on liability and redress provided a solid base for
discussions.

Delegates
elected René Lefeber (the Netherlands) and Jimena
Nieto (Colombia) as Co-Chairs of the meeting.

Xueman Wang, Secretariat introduced: a compilation of
views on the scenarios identified by the Technical Expert
Group.

Co-Chair Nieto presented the report of the meeting of the Technical
Expert Group (UNEP/CBD/BS/WG-L&R/1/2), highlighting
the lack of regional or international instruments
specifically addressing liability and redress for damage
resulting from transboundary movements of LMOs.

EGYPT regretted the
absence of negotiator Tewolde Egziabher (Ethiopia)
due to Canada's denial of a visa and stressed that host
countries are required to facilitate, not hinder
participation. Above photo: Osama El-Tayeb (Egypt)

Above
photo: NGO participants protested Canada's denial of visa
to a few participants particularly that of Ethiopian
negotiator, Tewolde Egziabher.

PRESENTATIONS RELATING TO
LIABILITY AND REDRESS:

SCIENTIFIC
ANALYSIS AND RISK ASSESSMENT:

CAMEROON drew attention to the conditions of the receiving
environment and asked about the relation between a field
trial and risk assessment. Above photo: Lilian Nfor (Cameroon)

Dan
Ogolla (Secretariat) described recent developments in
State responsibility and international liability.

The
UK noted that primary State responsibility in the Convention on
International Liability for Damage Caused by Space Objects
confirms the international trend to channel liability to the
operator, because States are the only entities operating space
objects.
Above photo: Jane Bulmer (UK)